Dear Mr. Chu Yang,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A list of necessary books and equipment is enclosed.
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by July 31.
Deputy Headmistress
Minerva McGonagall
Chu Yang began writing his reply to Hogwarts, clearly explaining his situation at the orphanage. He needed the school to send a teacher or professor to help him.
He couldn't find his way to Diagon Alley by himself.
The dedicated owl, because Chu Yang hadn't replied before, flew to the orphanage almost every day. It was almost caught by the nuns to be stewed for the children's health.
The owl, having received the reply, soared high, disappearing into the sky in a blink.
"As long as it's not Snape, I can accept any other professor." Chu Yang didn't dislike Snape, but as a student, he would still keep his distance from Snape.
Snape truly resembled those disciplinary deans from his previous life who used canes to hit people…
It would take some time for Hogwarts to receive his reply and then send a professor, so Chu Yang had to use this time to save up some tuition money.
How to save?
Of course, by robbing… uh, robbing the rich to help the poor!
This was London in the 90s, and every dark corner of the alleys was filled with idle hooligans.
Chu Yang specifically targeted these people. When he was lucky, he could even stumble upon a gang's transaction site and get rich instantly.
In two days, Chu Yang had gathered enough tuition for the next seven years.
Hogwarts couldn't know about this. On the surface, Chu Yang still had to pretend to be a poor student.
On the evening of the third day after his reply, Chu Yang's Observation Haki sensed a special aura, so he packed his luggage and tiptoed out of the window.
After waiting in the yard for a while, a gentle voice suddenly came from behind Chu Yang.
"Mr. Chu Yang, I'm glad to see you've prepared in advance."
Chu Yang turned around and saw a short, plump witch walking towards him, with fluffy and messy hair, a heavy robe, and a patched pointed hat.
Chu Yang nodded and then asked, "Are you a professor from Hogwarts?"
The plump witch smiled and said, "Hello, Mr. Chu Yang, I am the Head of Hufflepuff House at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and the Herbology Professor, Pomona Sprout."
Chu Yang bowed slightly and replied, "Hello, Professor Sprout."
Sprout glanced at the orphanage behind Chu Yang and said softly, "In Hogwarts' nearly thousand-year history, very few children from orphanages have had the opportunity to study here. The last one was…"
It's going to be recommended tomorrow, brothers, you must follow along! If the trial recommendation doesn't work, there will be no more recommendations. Thank you, brothers!!!!
Chapter 21 The Leaky Cauldron
At this point, Sprout's voice trailed off. She smiled awkwardly, then started anew, saying, "In any case, your situation is quite special, and you have Eastern blood. Originally, Headmaster Dumbledore himself should have come to speak with you, but he is currently tied up with other matters, so…"
Chu Yang showed a cute smile, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Professor Sprout!"
Sprout was very pleased with Chu Yang's attitude and praised him with a smile, "Ha, what a clever little dear."
"No wonder you packed your luggage and waited for me so early. You seem to have already guessed how we would resolve your predicament, right?"
Chu Yang pondered, "Perhaps by sponsoring a portion of my tuition in advance, allowing me to attend school, and then having me do some auxiliary work at the school, working part-time while studying?"
"Working part-time?" Sprout looked at Chu Yang in surprise, nodding repeatedly, "That term is very fitting. We do intend for you to do some things at the school; getting something for nothing is not a value Hogwarts promotes."
As if afraid Chu Yang would feel pressured, Sprout explained, "The school won't assign anything beyond your capabilities. At most, it would be helping me manage the herb garden, or after getting familiar with Potions, assisting Professor Snape, who teaches Potions…"
When he heard about assisting Snape, Chu Yang was internally resistant, but he still bit the bullet and said, "Professor Sprout, I will diligently complete these tasks."
"That's a given," Sprout said loudly.
She then bent down and patted Chu Yang's head, "Wait here for a moment. I need to explain the situation clearly to the matron who cares for you, to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings."
With that, Sprout walked directly towards the orphanage.
She took out her wand and gently waved it towards the side door, "Alohomora!"
The Unlocking Charm!
With a click, the side door slowly opened. Sprout, head held high, walked in like a proud swan under Chu Yang's 'adoring' gaze.
Chu Yang smacked his lips and said, "The reason I snuck out was because Matron Ann is not easy to talk to. Elderly nuns are not just ordinarily stubborn. I hope Professor Sprout won't be mistaken for some strange person…"
Not long after, Professor Sprout emerged from inside, looking disheveled, with both hands clutched to her head, protecting her patched pointed hat.
"Do Muggle nuns like to sleep hugging brooms?" Sprout complained, "I didn't even have time to cast a spell before she swept me out with her broom."
Chu Yang said awkwardly, "I'm sorry, Professor, I should have warned you. Matron Ann is a bit overly cautious to protect the children of the orphanage."
Sprout sighed, "I understand. I protect my students with the same feeling. Although the process was a bit convoluted, I still explained it clearly to her. You can rest assured and come to Hogwarts with me."
Chu Yang pretended to be a child who had never seen the world, and asked excitedly, "Are we going now?"
Sprout gently pressed her hands downwards, signaling Chu Yang not to be so excited, "It's very late now. We need to stay at the Leaky Cauldron for the night, and tomorrow we'll go to Diagon Alley to get you everything you need for school."
Chu Yang blinked and asked, "Are those the things written in the acceptance letter?"
"Close your eyes, it might be a little uncomfortable next." Sprout nodded, then took Chu Yang's hand, preparing to cast Apparition!
In an instant, Chu Yang felt a surge of magic, and a powerful oppressive force squeezed his body.
Immediately after, he felt as if he had been put into a can and shaken up, down, left, and right at will.
Fortunately, at this time, Chu Yang possessed an extremely resilient physique and a powerful mental strength beyond ordinary people. Upon reaching the destination, he showed no discomfort whatsoever.
"Few people are so calm after their first experience with Apparition. You possess excellent talent and psychological resilience, Mr. Chu Yang."
Sprout, who had observed Chu Yang's performance, did not hesitate to express her admiration. Although their time together was short, she was deeply impressed by this child.
He possessed a maturity and rationality beyond his peers, which was a necessary condition for becoming a great wizard.
"Where is this?" Chu Yang looked around.
He found himself on a quiet street. As it was late, there were no pedestrians around.
"Charing Cross Road! The Leaky Cauldron I mentioned is just across the street." Sprout pointed to a very old-fashioned shop across the road. Its dusty wooden door and everything around it seemed so out of place.
Occasionally, people would pass by, but they wouldn't notice the sign here, as if they hadn't seen it at all.
"This place has been enchanted. Muggles… ordinary people cannot see the Leaky Cauldron. The same goes for Hogwarts." Sprout explained as she led Chu Yang into the pub.
The visibility inside the pub was also dim.
It was no better than outside, with only a few scattered candles steadfastly emitting light.
An old man stood behind the bar, nodding to Sprout, "Hello, Professor Sprout."
"Hello, Mr. Tom." Sprout led Chu Yang to the bar area.
Chu Yang's gaze lingered on the moving newspapers, the spoons, and the rag in front of Mr. Tom that cleaned itself.
Although Chu Yang was mentally prepared, seeing it with his own eyes still filled him with surprise at the wonders of the magical world.
"Haha, is this a new little wizard?" Old Tom smiled knowingly when he saw Chu Yang's curious expression.
"Yes, Mr. Tom." Chu Yang smiled and greeted him.
Old Tom reminded him, "It's the start of term, and many new students like you are staying at the Leaky Cauldron. If you meet them in the common room, feel free to make friends in advance. You know, having many friends is always a good thing, no matter where you are."
Chu Yang replied gratefully, "Thank you for your advice, Mr. Tom."
"Alright, Mr. Tom, that's enough chatting. I need to take this child upstairs to rest. He has a lot of things waiting for him tomorrow!" Sprout took two keys from Old Tom and then led Chu Yang upstairs.
Late at night, Chu Yang fell into a deep sleep, filled with excitement and curiosity about the magical world.
The next morning, a heavy knocking woke Chu Yang from his bed.
"Chu Yang, we need to leave. Get up quickly." Sprout's voice, like a booming bell, rang from outside the door, louder than an alarm clock.
"Okay, Professor Sprout, I'll get up right away!" Chu Yang quickly got dressed. Just as he was about to brush his teeth, he suddenly realized he had forgotten to bring his toothpaste and toothbrush.
"How do I always forget to bring toiletries every time I go out? Can't I change this habit from my last life?!" Chu Yang looked at himself in the mirror speechlessly. After packing his things, he opened the door and met up with Professor Sprout.
Chapter 22 Heading to Diagon Alley [Please continue reading]
"Haha, messy hair, you need to pay attention to your appearance when you go out, Chu Yang!" Sprout waved her wand, smoothing Chu Yang's messy hair.
"You didn't give me time to tidy up, Professor." Chu Yang shrugged, innocently defending himself.
"Hurry downstairs for breakfast, we have a lot to buy today." Sprout turned and went downstairs, her heavy body making a grating sound on the wooden staircase.
Chu Yang followed behind her, maintaining a certain distance, fearing she might break a step.
Bread, jam, milk, sausage—a very classic set of four.
The breakfast provided by the Leaky Cauldron wasn't delicious; at most, it was just enough to fill one's stomach. However, Chu Yang still ate all the food in his bowl cleanly.
Children from orphanages never waste food.
After they finished eating, they left through the back door of the Leaky Cauldron. After a few steps, they were blocked by a wall. Chu Yang was a little excited; he knew that the other side of the wall was Diagon Alley, symbolizing the true magical world.
"The third brick above the trash can, then two bricks to the side. Remember that, and then tap three times, and the passage to Diagon Alley will open."
Sprout gently tapped the bricks three times with her wand. The wall in front of them seemed to come alive, continuously twisting open to both sides, and a mysterious world unfolded before Chu Yang.
Sprout walked in front, leading the way.
Then she introduced Chu Yang to everything about this alley.
"Besides the entrance behind the Leaky Cauldron, there are two other ways to reach Diagon Alley: one is Apparition, which I performed earlier, and the other is Floo Powder."
"However, Apparition requires a very high level of spellcasting, and it's difficult for ordinary wizards to master. Generally, only professor-level wizards like myself can perform it with ease."
"Floo Powder is relatively much simpler to use, and it's not expensive either. Two Sickles a scoop, it's the first choice for many wizarding families for travel."
Sprout pointed to the fireplaces on both sides of the street and explained, "Floo Powder only works with fireplaces connected to the Floo Network. The method of use is very simple: just take a handful of Floo Powder, stand in the fireplace, clearly state your destination, and then sprinkle the Floo Powder."
At this point, Sprout suddenly turned and looked at Chu Yang seriously, saying, "Remember, when you say the destination, your pronunciation must be clear, otherwise, the consequences will be severe, understand?"